Impact of including productivity costs in economic analyses of vaccines for C. difficile infections and infant respiratory syncytial virus, in a UK setting.

OBJECTIVES: It has been estimated that vaccines can accrue a relatively large part of their value from patient and carer productivity. Yet, productivity value is not commonly or consistently considered in health economic evaluations of vaccines in several high-income countries. To contribute to a better understanding of the potential impact of including productivity value on the expected cost-effectiveness of vaccination, we illustrate the extent to which the incremental costs would change with and without productivity value incorporated. METHODS: For two vaccines currently under development, one against Cloistridioides difficile (C. difficile) infection and one against respiratory syncytial disease (RSV), we estimated their incremental costs with and without productivity value included and compared the results. RESULTS: In this analysis, reflecting a UK context, a C. difficile vaccination programme would prevent £12.3 in productivity costs for every person vaccinated. An RSV vaccination programme would prevent £49 in productivity costs for every vaccinated person. CONCLUSIONS: Considering productivity costs in future cost-effectiveness analyses of vaccines for C. difficile and RSV will contribute to better-informed reimbursement decisions from a societal perspective.

Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners experiencing therapeutic alliance while using tele-mental health: A phenomenological study.

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners have rapidly adopted and implemented tele-mental health in their practice; however it is unclear how this modality of care affects the experiential quality of therapeutic alliance, simply defined as the interpersonal working bond between provider and patient. OBJECTIVE: This study is the first to explore how psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners experience therapeutic alliance while using tele-mental health. DESIGN: Husserlian phenomenological qualitative study. PARTICIPANTS: A purposive, convenience sample of 17 American psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners who engaged in tele-mental health care were recruited online and interviewed. METHODS: Phenomenological interview transcripts recorded and later thematically coded in the qualitative software MaxQDA. RESULTS: From 1426 individual codes, five major themes and 16 subthemes were discovered. Overall, themes illuminated that psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners could build therapeutic alliance over tele-mental health using inherent interpersonal skills that had to be adapted to the technology. Adaptions included working with patient environmental factors, individual patient considerations, provider ambivalence, and technological observation shifting awareness and communication patterns. CONCLUSIONS: When adapting for the tele-mental health environment, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners experienced building and sustaining therapeutic alliance with most patients. Unparalleled aspects of tele-mental health allowed for a fuller clinical picture and logistical convenience to see patients more often with ease for both the provider and patient. However, experiential aspects of therapeutic alliance created during in-person care could not be replaced with tele-mental health. In conclusion, participants concluded that a hybrid care model would enhance therapeutic alliance for most patients.

Episodic Cost of Lower Respiratory Tract Illness Due to Respiratory Syncytial Virus Among US Infants During the First Year of Life.

A study using two healthcare claims databases (commercial, Medicaid) was undertaken to estimate episodic cost of lower respiratory tract illness due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV-LRTI) among infants aged <12 months overall, by age, and by birth gestational age (weeks [wGA]). Among commercial-insured infants, mean costs were $28,812 for hospitalized episodes, $2,575 for emergency department episodes, and $336 for outpatient clinic episodes; costs were highest among infants aged <1 month and infants with wGA ≤32, and were comparable-albeit somewhat lower-among Medicaid-insured infants. Cost of RSV-LRTI during acute phase of illness is high, especially among youngest and premature infants.

Long-Term effects of COVID-19: a review of current perspectives and mechanistic insights.

Although SARS-CoV-2, responsible for COVID-19, is primarily a respiratory infection, a broad spectrum of cardiac, pulmonary, neurologic, and metabolic complications can occur. More than 50 long-term symptoms of COVID-19 have been described, and as many as 80% of patients may develop ≥1 long-term symptom. To summarize current perspectives of long-term sequelae of COVID-19, we conducted a PubMed search describing the long-term cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, and neurologic effects post-SARS-CoV-2 infection and mechanistic insights and risk factors for the above-mentioned sequelae. Emerging risk factors of long-term sequelae include older age (≥65 years), female sex, Black or Asian race, Hispanic ethnicity, and presence of comorbidities. There is an urgent need to better understand ongoing effects of COVID-19. Prospective studies evaluating long-term effects of COVID-19 in all body systems and patient groups will facilitate appropriate management and assess burden of care. Clinicians should ensure patients are followed up and managed appropriately, especially those in at-risk groups. Healthcare systems worldwide need to develop approaches to follow-up and support patients recovering from COVID-19. Surveillance programs can enhance prevention and treatment efforts for those most vulnerable.

A virtual dissemination framework to inform and evaluate a neonatal project ECHO (NeoECHO).

AIM: To present the development, implementation and evaluation of a theoretically grounded novel virtual dissemination evaluation (VDE) framework. BACKGROUND: Care of intensive care unit patients requires access to the most up-to-date knowledge and best practices. To address this challenge, we present the development, implementation and evaluation of a theoretically grounded novel VDE framework. This framework is applied to a dissemination strategy, NeoECHO, in neonatal intensive care units. Evidence-based virtual education is implemented to prevent, detect and treat necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates. DESIGN: Research Methodology: Discussion Paper-Methodology. METHODS: The virtual dissemination evaluation framework is a sequential combination of Integration of Integrated-Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services and Moore's Expanded Outcomes frameworks. The framework's conceptual determinants, virtual facilitators and implementation evaluations were operationalized in the NeoECHO dissemination strategy and evaluated for feasibility. The virtual dissemination evaluation framework was conceptually mapped, and operational activities were examined including theoretical constructs drawing on insights of nursing theorists, especially Fawcett's criteria (2005) for frameworks with practical application (significance, internal consistency, parsimony, testability and design fit). The NeoECHO strategy was evaluated for virtual dissemination evaluation adherence, operationalization and feasibility of implementation evaluation. RESULTS: The virtual dissemination evaluation framework meets the criteria for a practical application and demonstrates feasibility for adherence and operationalization consistency. The implementation evaluation was usable in the virtual dissemination of best practices for neonatal care for necrotizing enterocolitis and healthcare providers were actively engaged in using NeoECHO as an implementation strategy. CONCLUSION: This examination of the foundational aspects of the framework underscores the rigour required for generalization of practical application. Effective virtual dissemination of evidence-based practices to hospital units requires structured delivery and evaluation, enabling engaged healthcare providers to actualize education rapidly. The virtual dissemination evaluation frameworks' potential for narrowing the evidence-based practice gap in neonatal care showcases its wider significance and applicability. IMPLICATIONS: Care of neonates in NICUs requires a multidisciplinary approach and necessitates access to the most up-to-date knowledge and best practices. More than traditional dissemination methods are required to bridge the implementation gap. IMPACT: The effective use of the VDE framework can enhance the design, implementation and evaluation of knowledge dissemination, ultimately elevating neonatal care quality. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This paper introduces the VDE framework, a sequential combination of the iPARIHS and Moore's EO frameworks-as a methodological tool for designing, implementing and evaluating a neonatal strategy (NeoECHO) for virtual dissemination of education in NICUs. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

A Theoretical Framework for Conducting Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Virtual Care & Research.

Despite rapid adoption and implementation, theoretical research considerations for virtual care (VC), defined simply as healthcare delivered using technology, are lacking across psychiatric mental health nursing (PMHN) scholarship. By adapting Hildegard Peplau's Interpersonal Relations Theory (IRT) and Media Richness Theory (MRT) using an intermodern and emancipatory knowing approach, a new framework was created for guiding modern PMHN VC research. Using this theoretical framework, readers can gain awareness of how the art and science of PMHN practice can be applied to VC scholarly endeavors in the modern healthcare space.

Clear integration of nursing and media theories to inform modern psychiatric mental health nursing virtual care and respective clinical vignetteDetails how the art and science of psychiatric mental health nursing can be applied to virtual care and researchFuture research applications regarding psychiatric mental health nursing virtual care are providedAmple review of interpersonal relations theory in psychiatric mental health nursing practice.

Gradual decline in outpatient antibiotic prescriptions in paediatrics: A data warehouse-based 11-year cohort study.

AIM: To describe trends in antibiotic (AB) prescriptions in children in primary care over 11 years, using a large data warehouse. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study assessed outpatient AB prescriptions 2007-2017, using the Massachusetts Health Disparities Repository. The evolution of paediatric outpatient AB prescriptions was assessed using time-series analyses through annual per cent change (APC) for the population and for children with or without comorbid condition. RESULTS: About 25 000 children were followed in primary care with 31 248 AB prescriptions reported in the data warehouse. The youngest children had more AB prescriptions. Penicillins were prescribed most frequently (46%), then macrolides (28%). One third of children had comorbid conditions, receiving significantly more antibiotics (30.3 vs 21.0 AB/100 child-years, relative risk: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.40, 1.46). Overall AB prescription decreased over the period (APC = -5.34%, 95% CI: -7.10, -3.54), with similar trends for penicillins (APC = -5.49; 95% CI: -8.27, -2.62) and macrolides (APC = -6.46; 95% CI: -8.37, -4.58); antibiotic prescribing declined more in children with comorbid conditions. CONCLUSION: Outpatient AB prescribing decline was gradual and consistent in paediatrics over the period. Prescription differences persisted between age groups, conditions and indication. The availability of routine care data through data warehouse fosters the surveillance automation, providing inexpensive fast tools to design appropriate antimicrobial stewardship.

Exploring Internal Facilitators' Experience With NeoECHO to Foster NEC Prevention and Timely Recognition Through the iPARIHS Lens.

BACKGROUND: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains a major complication in the neonatal population. Standard practices regarding the care of premature infants and attitudes toward NEC prevention strategies vary across neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Evidence-based best practice dissemination was presented through the NEC-Zero bundle. To close gaps between evidence and practice, a telehealth-delivered intervention (ie, NeoECHO) was provided to NICUs. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to enable adoption of best practice for NEC prevention using NeoECHO through describing the local volunteer unit leaders', or internal facilitators' (IFs'), experiences in participating in NeoECHO and identifying the extent to which the facilitation activities within the NeoECHO experience were consistent with constructs from the integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (iPARHIS) framework. METHODS: The design of this study was qualitative descriptive. Six IFs were recruited in the Southwest. After 6 NeoECHO sessions, individual interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Content analysis was applied. Codes were informed by the iPARIHS framework. RESULTS: Major themes were (1) Innovation: Quality Improvement Projects, Bundles of Care, and Huddle; (2) Recipient: Reluctant Stakeholders and Technical Modalities; (3) Context: Buy-In, Timing, Resources, Leadership, and Blame; (4) Facilitation: Betterment, Buddy System, Passionate Care, and Empowerment; and (5) Adoption: Continuous Quality Improvement, Evidence-Based Practice, and Honest Discussions. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH: NeoECHO fostered a learning community to share current practices, policies, and strategies for NEC prevention, but the IFs were essential to foster local participation. The long-term impacts of NeoECHO are the focus of current research.Video Abstract available athttps://journals.lww.com/advancesinneonatalcare/Pages/videogallery.aspx.

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Neonatal Project ECHO (NeoECHO) as a Dissemination and Implementation Strategy to Prevent Necrotizing Enterocolitis.

BACKGROUND: Caregivers in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) often determine care practices in silos, although access to learning communities can improve quality. Project ECHO, a telehealth-delivered mentoring intervention, provides specialists' expertise but not in the NICU until now. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) prevention and timely recognition is one area where specialist support and engaging with a learning community could improve outcomes. NEC-Zero is one care bundle that aims to improve care quality by providing tools to implement NEC prevention in family-engaged ways. AIMS: To examine the feasibility and acceptability of NeoECHO to disseminate NEC-Zero education and describe the intentions of internal facilitators (IFs) and clinicians to initiate quality improvement changes. METHODS: This was a convergent mixed-methods study. Our team delivered the first neonatal adaptation of Project ECHO called "NeoECHO" to leverage facilitation as an implementation strategy to disseminate NEC-Zero evidence and support practice change. RESULTS: Six IFs and seven NICUs participated. All units and IFs that began the series finished it. Of the 261 session attendees, 206 (79%) study evaluations were completed. Of those who completed evaluations, 89 (100%) completed at least one session and 29 (33%) completed three or more. Satisfaction was high. Participants appreciated the engaged and accessible format to learn from experts using real case examples and didactic sessions. Individuals and IFs reported intentions to adopt evidence based on NeoECHO. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: NeoECHO was an acceptable and feasible way to engage under-resourced NICUs and share NEC-Zero evidence and tools. More research is needed to examine the impact of NeoECHO on care processes and patient outcomes.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses Using Synchronous Telepsychiatry: An Integrative Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Despite wide-spread use, telepsychiatry use among psychiatric mental health advanced practice nurse practitioners (PMH APRNs) has not been systematically explored in the literature. AIMS: Systematically review the PMH APRN usage of live-time, synchronous telepsychiatry including audiovisual teleconferencing technology. METHOD: A comprehensive, systematic search was performed with no publication date restriction across CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science on July 30, 2019, by a medical librarian. Each citation was blinded and independently reviewed by three reviewers, and consensus was reached for inclusion. Eligible articles were peer-reviewed research or quality improvement articles available in full-text, written in English, including real-time, synchronous, audiovisual telepsychiatry services with PMH APRN providers. Discussion articles and literature reviews were excluded. Article quality and bias were assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) assessment tool. RESULTS: The search yielded a total of 342 articles, and only nine articles met full inclusion criteria. Overall, risk of bias was high in all studies, and the GRADE rating consisted of three "very low," five "low," and one "medium" quality article. However, considering the collectively positive outcomes from PMH APRN telepsychiatry use, the overall GRADE recommendation was to "probably do it" for seven studies and "do it" for two studies. CONCLUSIONS: Though existent literature is low quality and sparse, evidence supports that PMH APRNs can feasibly and successfully provide telepsychiatry services across a wide range of demographic patients and locations. PMH APRNs should contribute more original evidence to guide telepsychiatry implementation and adoption as the service expands.

Decline in Pneumococcal Disease Attenuated in Older Adults and Those With Comorbidities Following Universal Childhood PCV13 Immunization.

BACKGROUND: Following introduction of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) in the United States, epidemiology of pneumococcal disease shifted such that disease incidence in the elderly exceeded that in children. We evaluated the impact of replacing PCV7 with PCV13 on disease burden in adults and identified age/risk-specific subgroups with the highest remaining disease burden. METHODS: A retrospective design and data from two US healthcare claims repositories were used. Study population included adults aged ≥18 years and was stratified by age (18-49, 50-64, 65-74, ≥75) and risk profile (healthy, at-risk, high-risk). Rate ratios comparing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), all-cause hospitalized pneumonia (ACHP), and pneumococcal pneumonia requiring hospitalization among at-risk and high-risk adults vs healthy counterparts were estimated for 2007-2010 (pre-PCV13), 2011-2012 (peri-PCV13), and 2013-2015 (post-PCV13). RESULTS: Across study periods, IPD and ACHP rates increased with age (2-27 times higher in persons ≥75 vs 18-49) and comorbidity (4-20 times higher in high-risk vs healthy). From pre- to post-PCV13 period, IPD rates declined 5%-48% and ACHP rates declined 4%-19% across age and risk groups (ACHP did not decline in persons ≥75). Decline in IPD and ACHP was attenuated among older adults and those with comorbidities. Accordingly, rate ratios among at-risk and high-risk persons (vs healthy counterparts) increased during the peri- and post-PCV13 periods compared with the pre-PCV13 period. CONCLUSIONS: The switch to PCV13 was associated with large declines in pneumococcal disease among US adults. However, the decline was attenuated with increasing age (and, for ACHP, was absent in persons ≥75) and in those with comorbidities.

A model to evaluate data science in nursing doctoral curricula.

BACKGROUND: Building on the efforts of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, we developed a model to infuse data science constructs into doctor of philosophy (PhD) curriculum. Using this model, developing nurse scientists can learn data science and be at the forefront of data driven healthcare. PURPOSE: Here we present the Data Science Curriculum Organizing Model (DSCOM) to guide comprehensive doctoral education about data science. METHODS: Our team transformed the terminology and applicability of multidisciplinary data science models into the DSCOM. FINDINGS: The DSCOM represents concepts and constructs, and their relationships, which are essential to a comprehensive understanding of data science. Application of the DSCOM identified areas for threading as well as gaps that require content in core coursework. DISCUSSION: The DSCOM is an effective tool to guide curriculum development and evaluation towards the preparation of nurse scientists with knowledge of data science.

Family Caregivers' Experiences of Within-Hospital Handoffs for Older Adults in Acute Care.

Family caregivers' experiences during within-hospital handoffs between acute care units are not well understood. Qualitative description methodology was employed to describe family caregivers' experiences during their loved ones' handoffs. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 caregivers of hospitalized older adults. Three themes emerged: Lack of care coordination, Muddling through handoffs alone, and Wariness toward the care delivery system. Findings can help clinicians shape their interactions with caregivers to maximize their involvement in post-hospital care.

Symptom Trajectories After an Emergency Department Visit for Potential Acute Coronary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Many patients evaluated for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in emergency departments (EDs) continue to experience troubling symptoms after discharge-regardless of their ultimate medical diagnosis. However, comprehensive understanding of common post-ED symptom trajectories is lacking. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify common trajectories of symptom severity in the 6 months after an ED visit for potential ACS. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of data from a larger observational, prospective study conducted in five U.S. EDs. Patients (N = 1005) who had electrocardiogram and biomarker testing ordered, and were identified by the triage nurse as potentially having ACS, were enrolled. Symptom severity was assessed in the hospital after initial stabilization and by telephone at 30 days and 6 months using the validated 13-item ACS Symptom Checklist. Growth mixture modeling was used for the secondary analysis. The eight most commonly reported symptoms (chest discomfort, chest pain, chest pressure, light-headedness, shortness of breath, shoulder pain, unusual fatigue, and upper back pain) were modeled across the three study time points. Models with increasing numbers of classes were compared, and final model selection was based on a combination of interpretability, theoretical justification, and statistical fit indices. RESULTS: The sample was 62.6% male with a mean age of 60.2 years (SD = 14.17 years), and 57.1% ruled out for ACS. Between two and four distinct trajectory classes were identified for each symptom. The seven different types of trajectories identified across the eight symptoms were labeled "tapering off," "mild/persistent," "moderate/persistent," "moderate/worsening," "moderate/improving," "late onset, "and "severe/improving." Trajectories differed on age, gender, and diagnosis. DISCUSSION: Research on the individual nature of symptom trajectories can contribute to patient-centered, rather than disease-centered, care. Further research is needed to verify the existence of multiple symptoms trajectories in diverse populations and to assess the antecedents and consequences of individual symptom trajectories.

Rates and costs of invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia in persons with underlying medical conditions.

BACKGROUND: The presence of certain underlying medical conditions is known to increase the risk of pneumococcal disease in persons of all ages and across a wide spectrum of conditions, as demonstrated in two recent evaluations. Corresponding estimates of attributable economic costs have not been well characterized. We thus undertook a retrospective evaluation to estimate rates and costs of pneumococcal disease among children and adults with and without underlying medical conditions in the United States. METHODS: Data were obtained from three independent healthcare claims repositories. The study population included all persons enrolled in participating health plans during 2007-2010, and was stratified into subgroups based on age and risk profile: healthy; at-risk, due to selected comorbid conditions; and high-risk, due to selected immunocompromising conditions. At-risk and high-risk conditions, as well as episodes of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and all-cause pneumonia (PNE), were identified via diagnosis, procedure, and drug codes. Rates and healthcare costs of IPD and PNE (2010US$) among at-risk and high-risk persons were compared with those from age-stratified healthy counterparts using incidence rate ratios (IRR) and cost ratios. RESULTS: Rates of IPD and PNE were consistently higher among at-risk persons (IRR = 4.1 [95 % CI 3.9-4.3] and 4.5 [4.49-4.53]) and high-risk persons (IRR = 10.3 [9.7-11.0] and 8.2 [8.2-8.3]) of all ages versus their healthy counterparts. Rates were notably high for at-risk persons with ≥2 conditions (IRR = 9.0 [8.4-9.7] and 10.3 [10.3-10.4]), as well as those with asthma (IRR = 3.4 [3.0-3.8] and 4.5 [4.47-4.53]) or diabetes (IRR = 4.3 [4.0-4.6] and 4.7 [4.6-4.7]). Healthcare costs totaled $21.7 million per 100,000 at-risk person-years and $58.5 million per 100,000 high-risk person-years, which were 8.7 [8.5-8.8] and 23.4 [22.9-23.8] times higher than corresponding costs for healthy persons. CONCLUSIONS: Rates and costs of IPD and PNE are substantially higher among persons with certain chronic and immunocompromising conditions versus those without any such conditions. Rates and costs for persons with asthma and diabetes were especially increased, and rates and costs for individuals with ≥2 at-risk conditions approached those among persons with high-risk conditions.

Rates of pneumonia among children and adults with chronic medical conditions in Germany.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to evaluate rates of all-cause pneumonia among "at-risk" and "high-risk" children and adults in Germany-in comparison with age-stratified healthy counterparts-during the period following the 2006 recommendation for universal immunization of infants with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. METHODS: Retrospective cohort design and healthcare claims information for 3.4 M persons in Germany (2009-2012) were employed. Study population was stratified by age and risk profile (healthy, "at-risk" [with chronic medical conditions], and "high-risk" [immunocompromised]). At-risk and high-risk conditions, as well as episodes of all-cause pneumonia, were identified via diagnosis, procedure, and drug codes. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Rates of all-cause pneumonia were 1.7 (95 % CI 1.7-1.8) to 2.5 (2.4-2.5) times higher among children and adults with at-risk conditions versus healthy counterparts, and 1.8 (1.8-1.9) to 4.1 (4.0-4.2) times higher among children and adults with high-risk conditions. Rates of all-cause pneumonia among at-risk persons increased in a graded and monotonic fashion with increasing numbers of conditions (i.e., risk stacking). CONCLUSIONS: An increased risk for all-cause pneumonia in German children and adults with a spectrum of medical conditions persists in the era of widespread pneumococcal vaccination, and pneumonia risk in persons with ≥2 at-risk conditions is comparable or higher than those with high-risk conditions.

Factors Associated with Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Acceptance Among Haitian and African-American parents of Adolescent Sons.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The authors would like to thank Cecilia Marquez, Justine Lavoye, Elaine Shu and Hailey Tipton for their efforts with participant recruitment and data collection. OBJECTIVE: To assess knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices related to HPV vaccination among African-Americans and Haitian immigrant parents, and to compare vaccination rates of their sons. STUDY DESIGN: We performed semi-structured interviews with parents of boys aged 11-17 who had not yet received the HPV vaccine. We used validated surveys of HPV knowledge, trust in physicians, and intention to vaccinate. We probed participants' thought processes about HPV vaccination, and examined parental attitudes, beliefs, and practices toward HPV vaccination using open-ended questions. We then reviewed medical records to determine whether sons were subsequently vaccinated. RESULTS: 25 African-American and 30 Haitian immigrant parents and legal guardians participated in the study. Haitian immigrants were more likely to be married and to practice a religion than African-Americans. Both groups had limited knowledge of HPV (32% of questions were answered correctly by Haitian immigrants vs. 31% by African-Americans). Sixty-four percent of African-Americans and 79% of Haitians intended to vaccinate their sons, however only 24% of African-American and 20% of Haitian sons received vaccination within 12 months of the interview. Open-ended questions revealed that most African-Americans felt that vaccination fell within the parental role, while some Haitian immigrants felt uncomfortable vaccinating against sexually transmitted infections because they felt children should not be having sex. Both groups wanted more information about HPV vaccines. CONCLUSIONS: Improving HPV vaccine rates in Haitian and African-American boys may require culturally competent approaches that address ethnic-specific barriers among their parents.

The Veterans Affairs's Corporate Data Warehouse: Uses and Implications for Nursing Research and Practice.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) is supported by one of the largest integrated health care information systems in the United States. The VHA's Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW) was developed in 2006 to accommodate the massive amounts of data being generated from more than 20 years of use and to streamline the process of knowledge discovery to application. This article describes the developments in research associated with the VHA's transition into the world of Big Data analytics through CDW utilization. The majority of studies utilizing the CDW also use at least one other data source. The most commonly occurring topics are pharmacy/medications, systems issues, and weight management/obesity. Despite the potential benefit of data mining techniques to improve patient care and services, the CDW and alternative analytical approaches are underutilized by researchers and clinicians.

Research in nursing informatics 2014.

This article reflects the work done in the third year of the Nursing Informatics Year in Review project. This project seeks to search and analyze articles written by nurses as first author on the subject of nursing informatics, published August 2013-August 2014. Each year we also seek recommended articles from our American Medical Informatics Association-Nursing Informatics Work Group (AMIA-NIWG) members that meet the same criteria as the search and most influenced their thinking and scholarship. Twenty-seven articles emerged from the literature review, and our AMIA-NIWG members recommended 32 articles. We analyzed the articles by journal of publication, country of first author, source of funding, research method, research setting, and area of focus. The purpose of this article was to present the results of this project for 2014.

Risk of pneumococcal disease in children with chronic medical conditions in the era of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

BACKGROUND: In the current era of universal immunization of young children with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, it is unclear whether the high risk ratios for pneumococcal disease previously attributed to specified chronic conditions have persisted. In addition, further analysis of pneumococcal disease risk may clarify whether certain chronic conditions that currently are not specified as significantly increasing the risk of pneumococcal disease should be so considered. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis utilizing healthcare claims data from the period 2007-2010 to compare rates of pneumococcal disease among children <5 and 5-17 years of age with high-risk and at-risk conditions to rates among children without these conditions in the same age group. Risk profiles and manifestations of pneumococcal infection were ascertained from diagnosis, procedure, and drug codes. RESULTS: Among at-risk children, rate ratios for invasive pneumococcal disease (vs children without at-risk/high-risk conditions) were 1.8 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-2.3) in children <5 years of age and 3.3 (95% CI, 2.4-4.4) in children 5-17 years of age. Corresponding rate ratios for high-risk children were 11.2 (95% CI, 7.0-17.9) and 40.1 (95% CI, 28.8-56.0). Rate ratios increased in asthmatic children with increasing disease severity and in all at-risk children by the number of concurrent at-risk conditions. Rate ratios for pneumococcal pneumonia and all-cause pneumonia demonstrated similar patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Children with high-risk and at-risk conditions continue to demonstrate an increased burden of pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal disease rates are high among asthmatic children with moderate and severe disease and children with multiple at-risk conditions.